Getting Into Sundance With A $30K TV Pilot

In this episode filmmaker Alec Goldberg joins the show to break down how his micro-budget comedy pilot Soft Boil went from a bootstrapped production to a blind submission acceptance at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival.

We talk about Alec’s path from documentary and commercial work into scripted narrative, how a key creative partnership with lead actor / co-writer Camille Wormser shaped the project, and what it took to pull off a festival-ready pilot on $30,000 across a handful of shoot days.

Topics covered include:

• Why Alec believes casting + voice was the “X factor” (and how to recognize it)
• The tactical micro-budget choices that mattered most (locations, rehearsals, scheduling)
• How to direct comedy with improv-friendly actors without losing the spine of the scene
• The producer “role-splitting” approach that let Alec focus on directing
• How Alec thinks about finding your “voice” as a filmmaker, and why it's so critical
• The films and filmmakers shaping his taste (Kaufman, PTA, Von Trier, Aronofsky, Kubrick)

Links from the show:

Alec D. Goldberg - Instagram

Camille Wormser - Instagram

Madison Shamoun - Instagram

Vivian Kerr - Instagram

Patrick Tabari - Instagram

John Gemberling - Instagram

Alec Goldberg - Website

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